Ekiti Guber: Crisis Brews In ADC

Agency ReporterMay 16, 2018

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ekiti State is heading for a major crisis, as its candidate, Ayodele Adesua, has vowed to resist any attempt by the national leaders of the party to withdraw the party’s participation in the coming governorship election.
Mr Adesua has also vowed not to step down or handover his ticket to another candidate, as being insinuated in some quarters.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had thrown its weight behind the ADC, recommending it to members of the Coalition for Nigeria Movement and other stakeholders seeking to change the present government ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Mr Obasanjo, however, formally withdrew from the CNM when it merged into the ADC.

But Mr Adesua has vowed not to hand over his mandate to anyone, warning that the former Osun governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who is also the national coordinator of the CNM, was behind the move.

Mr Adesua returned unopposed by all 32 accredited delegates in a primary election conducted by the party in Ado Ekiti on Sunday.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Adesua said Mr Oyinlola is attempting to impose his friend, Dare Bejide, a former diplomat, as the candidate of the party.

Mr Bejide had lost the governorship ticket of the Social Democratic Party to Akinloye Ayegbusi in the primaries held in Ado Ekiti.
Mr Adesua rejected the report that the ADC had withdrawn from participating in the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti State scheduled for July 14.

Instead, he said, party members as well as his supporters in Ekiti were resolute and ready to partake in the election.

The party’s national publicity secretary, Anayo Arinze, was quoted as saying that the party was no longer interested in participating in the Ekiti election, but would align with other political parties and focus on making the desired change in 2019 elections.

“It goes beyond the power of anybody to withdraw from the Ekiti governorship race on behalf of the party candidate without being delegated by the candidate to do so,” the statement highlighted.

“This ridiculous development gives an insight into how selfish desperation for power of a single individual can wreck the ship of a movement such as the Coalition for Nigeria Movement which is recognised locally and internationally as the team that would salvage Nigerians from the currently sinking ship of the nation.

“Consequently, we will never consider sparing any effort in ensuring that we hold tight to what belongs to us regardless of how dangerous it may appear to the success of Obasanjo’s CNM.

“Therefore, His Excellency, Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo may need to prevail on former Governor Oyinlola before it is too late.

“Ayodele David Adesua and his team will never lay down the people’s mandate to fly the party’s flag in Ekiti 2018 governorship election considering how much he has single-handedly laboured to fund the party to maturity in Ekiti State before having a good boost of fortune when Obasanjo’s CNM collapsed into it,” the statement further highlighted.